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Our Team

Our Guide Service and Summer Camp Team

Our backpacking guides and outdoor educators are the key ingredient to our success at Lasting Adventures. While we all come from different backgrounds, we all share a passion for adventure, our National Parks, and sharing experiences with others to creates memories that last a lifetime. Our guide staff is a wise and energetic group that understands the importance of professionalism, caring, and risk management. Some of our guides were once youth participants themselves before growing into their present roles, while others have been selected for the backgrounds and experiences they have with youth and within the outdoor environment. Many of our outdoor educators carry off-season jobs as teachers, naturalists, counselors, or other youth-focused professions, and many of us live in the Sierra Nevada. On most trips, you will have the pleasure of getting to know multiple guides!

Prior to each backpacking season our guides come together for a week-long staff training to prepare and refresh their skills. We have fun covering serious practices, playing games and reviewing protocols—essentially using the same Adventure Based Programming model we facilitate on our youth, group, school, and corporate adventures. We’re more than coworkers—we’re a team—and we work hard, live, and adventure together all summer!

On every youth trip there is a guide-participant ratio of at most 1:6, but in most cases the ratio is 1:5 or lower. Each trip will also typically have at least one male and one female outdoor educator. (Except for our all-female Young Women’s Adventure Programs which will have two of our dynamic female staff.)

For our guide service, day trips, and backpacking trips, we staff each adventure with 1 or 2 veteran guides who bring with them significant backcountry experience. Ratios do not exceed 1:6; and are often 1:5 or lower is more common.

Each of our team members holds current Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications and has passed an extensive background check, including a criminal history report. Furthermore, our guides are selected for being outstanding backcountry specialists, and of course, extremely fun to hang out with!

Looking to join our team? Check out our Employment Page

Join Us For Staff Training!

Administrative Staff

Scott

Founder/Executive Director

Scott is the Founder and Executive Director for Lasting Adventures, Inc and has been facilitating the Yosemite High Country Adventure since 1997 in which he has personally logged over 5,000 miles as a guide and instructor in the Yosemite backcountry. As both a credentialed school administrator and counselor, Scott has well over 30 years of experience working with youth. Scott attended Sonoma State University in California where he obtained both his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling. Scott holds certification in Basic Backpacking Awareness, is certified as a Wilderness First Responder by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and he is trained as an Outdoor Emergency Care professional. In addition to actively instructing and guiding the Yosemite High Country Adventure and through community collaborations and support, Scott has also successfully developed many other youth development programs; and he is also a requested presenter on these topics. When not in Yosemite, you might be able to catch Scott on the slopes snowboarding in Tahoe.

Will

Operations Director & Guide

Will started his outdoor education in Appalachia, found his passion for adventure in the Rockies, and found his home in the Sierra Nevada. Thanks to parents that booked campsites instead of hotel rooms to save on travel expenses, he is quite comfortable laying his head close to the ground to sleep. Using the forests behind his house as an escape and proving grounds, he learned the outdoor survival skills that have given him the confidence to leave behind civilization and live in the wilderness. Will began camping as a child, backpacking as a teenager, climbing/canyoneering in college, and mountain biking since working for Lasting Adventures. Graduating with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation, he lived and worked near Zion National Park as a therapist for a year before finding that he yearned to spend more time in the wild. So he left behind the 9 to 5 and went full time into guiding with Lasting Adventures during the summer of 2015. Will loves being a guide because it affords him the opportunity to invite others to share in the experiences that have given him the hope to carry on through difficult times. When your life is simple enough to fit all necessary possessions in a backpack, you have plenty of room left to fill yourself with happiness and adventure. He now finds joy in teaching those same skills to his life partner and two daughters.

Kara

Marketing Manager & Guide

Kara grew up in a small town of Beaver, PA and loved spending every waking moment in the outdoors as a child. Once she was taken on her first backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park, Kara was hooked and eventually decided to change her career from the Fashion Industry to the Outdoors and that was the best decision she ever made. Kara then took an Outdoor Educator course with NOLS in the great Wind River Range for backpacking and rock climbing, got her Wilderness First Responder certification, and has since taken kids out into the outdoors from the White Mountains in New Hampshire to the desert in Joshua Tree National Park and challenged them in activities that include backpacking, rock climbing, white water kayaking and canoeing.

In her free time Kara loves going canyoneering, backpacking, trail running, researching new cheesy jokes, cooking and eating lots of yummy food, climbing multi-pitch routes in Red Rocks, road tripping, playing lots ‘o’ board games, writing for her blog, star-gazing, chasing rainbows and ultimately lounging in her hammock.

Kara believes in the philosophy that you should never stop learning and is very much looking forward to learning even more about Yosemite, where she got first bitten by the outdoors bug, and sharing that knowledge with all the participants on Lasting Adventures trips!

Hannah

Olympic Site Manager & Guide

A Wisconsin native, Hannah found her passion for the outdoors through backpacking with her student-run outdoor recreation club in college. In 2020, she relocated to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to pursue a career and lifestyle in the outdoor industry. She is a Wilderness EMT and Leave No Trace Master Educator and, aside from her four seasons at Lasting Adventures, has worked as a ski patroller, mountaineering instructor, outdoor gear retailer, and wilderness therapy guide. Hannah is passionate and knowledgeable about the ecosystem, history and geography of the Olympic mountains and she has enjoyed building her career and community on this unique and beautiful peninsula. 

Outdoor Educators and Guide Staff

Dyson

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Dyson grew up exploring the Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz Mountains, where he gained a passion for learning and spending time in nature. He got his first taste of backpacking in the Trinity Alps, leading him to become an outdoor guide for George Washington University. As an undergraduate he earned a degree in Creative Writing and English and led backpacking and hiking trips all around Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. He enjoys reading, writing, hiking, paddling, snowboarding and observing wildlife. With a deep love for the community and adventure found on backpacking trips and a passion for sharing the natural and human history of Yosemite, Dyson is excited for his fifth year with Lasting Adventures!

Anna

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Anna grew up hiking and canoeing in Washington state. She found her passion for the outdoors at a young age, exploring many of the wonderful trails around Mount Rainier. Anna recently completed her degree in Hydrology and has a passion for water conservation. Her love of exploring new places has led her to hike in National Parks across the west coast. She has hiked the Wonderland Trail as well as the PCT through Washington and Oregon. Anna spends her winter time as both a scuba diving instructor and ski instructor. This is her fourth season at Lasting Adventures, and she is very excited to share it with you.

Matthew

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Matt is an outdoor educator and guide who loves working in the outdoors. He graduated with a degree in Outdoor/Adventure Education in 2019 and has since been traveling, teaching, climbing, and exploring all over the country. Matt enjoys spending his time rock climbing and on remote adventures, especially around Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. He is also very passionate about education. In addition to showing people how much fun the mountains can be, Matt works hard to teach people about the amazing natural wonders of our planet, and the importance of protecting wild places. Matt is really looking forward to his ninth year working with Lasting Adventures.

Rowan

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Rowan grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas where they spent their summers hiking, swimming, and wakeboarding. Rowan eventually moved to Colorado for under-grad where the continued to develop their outdoor passions, picking up backpacking and snowboarding. Rowan loves to explore outside and share their passion with others, constantly picking up new outdoor hobbies like flat water canoeing and canyoneering. Currently a graduate student at the American Film Institute, Rowan has used their time in California to get creatively inspired by nature and explore the west coast parks. Rowan couldn’t be more excited to be back at Lasting Adventures for a second season!

John

Guide & Outdoor Educator

John grew up in Denver, CO, and spent much of his childhood and adolescence backpacking and camping in the nearby Rockies, where he fostered a love for the mountains. Right after high school, John began rock climbing and, through this new passion, found a deeper connection to the outdoors and nature and a more significant appreciation for community. He has since spent a lot of time exploring the country, from remote rock climbing trips in Wyoming’s Wind River Range to canyoneering adventures in Southeastern Utah. After spending years developing this passion, John is excited to share it with others and is eager to introduce people to the value of being outside.

This will be John’s fifth year with Lasting Adventures, and he is excited to continue to grow his passion for outdoor education this season!

Jack

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Jack Curran is a Wilderness educator from Prescott, Arizona. Spending his free time rock climbing, hiking, and creating art, Jack has developed an intense love for natural spaces. Bringing an eclectic and spunky attitude of care and compassion to his work as an educator, he can’t imagine a better way to share his passion for the world than guiding Lasting Adventures!

Maddie

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Maddie grew up in Northern California immersed in nature and has always felt most at home in the outdoors. She spent four years living and frolicking on the central coast of California and received her degree in Environmental Science from Cal Poly SLO. Now she spends her winters in Bend, OR, working as a ski instructor and her summers in Yosemite. Maddie loves to spend her time learning new things, skiing, running with friends, botanizing, backpacking, and settling into a good book. This will be her third season working in Yosemite (she first worked as a botanist, then as a guide) and she’s stoked to return to the park and share her love and knowledge of its natural wonders.

Maggie

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Maggie grew up in Eugene, Oregon, where she found her connection to the earth while exploring the forests and mountains of the Oregon Cascades. She found an amazing community in the outdoor program at her high school, where they hiked, rock climbed and adventured in the rain together. Maggie now lives in San Luis Obispo, California where she graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Environmental Earth and Soil Science. Her life includes a lot of yoga, hiking, farmers markets and ocean time. She spent a summer river guiding on the Salmon River in Idaho, and then decided to take her passion for guiding to the mountains, where she fell in love with the Sierras. This will be her second summer in Yosemite!

Isaac

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Isaac learned to love playing in the outdoors from a young age, adventuring around campgrounds and beaches with his brothers in Oregon. As a teenager, Isaac backpacked and rock-climbed his way up and down the West Coast with his pals, developing an appreciation for things like moss, rocks, and cowboy coffee. Nowadays, Isaac is a recent graduate of Pitzer College, where he earned his bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Spanish, and was also an outdoors guide. He likes to run on trails, eat lots of chicken and rice, and learn campfire tunes on the spoons. Isaac is deeply passionate about sharing his love and knowledge of the outdoors with others, and he can’t wait to spend the summer guiding in Yosemite with Lasting Adventures!

Zuzanna

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Zuzanna grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. Having spent many summers visiting family in the beautiful countryside of Poland, she found her love for travel and backpacking through trips to the mountains. Zuzanna’s major hobbies include climbing, hiking, yoga, painting, and cooking (/eating). Since completing her bachelor’s in conservation at UMass Amherst, Zuzanna’s dream is to work as an Environmental educator and artist, fostering resilient communities and creatively exploring the natural world. She’s shared her love of the outdoors as a hiking leader for her school’s Outing Club and as an educator in the Mt. Hood National Forest. She’s excited to spend her second summer at Lasting Adventures, frolicking around Yosemite Valley and making new friends.

Haley

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Haley grew up in North Carolina, and developed a love for the outdoors exploring the Appalachian mountains whether camping, hiking, backpacking, or just soaking in the great views. She attended University of North Carolina Wilmington to study Sociology where she got the chance to explore the coastal region and fell in love with leading kayaking and backpacking trips and making a lasting impact on people’s relationship to nature. She believes the outdoors are for everyone and is excited to spread her love of adventure through Lasting Adventures!

Sarah

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Sarah has been leading various hiking, camping, and backpacking trips since 2020 and is a big advocate of encouraging inclusivity in nature. She loves teaching people the skills and confidence they need to survive and explore on their own in the great outdoors. She has organized and led trips all over California and the Southwestern United States.

Sarah spends most of her time in Yosemite National Park sharing the natural beauty of this incredible wilderness with others. She is very passionate about sharing a love and appreciation of nature with people of all backgrounds.

Olivia

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Olivia was born and raised in Los Angeles and spent their childhood summers car camping in Yosemite. At fourteen, Olivia embarked on their first backcountry trip in Yosemite with Lasting Adventures and instantly fell in love with backpacking. Olivia has hiked the John Muir Trail, Trans-Catalina Trail, and the southern PCT, and has hiked extensively in the western US and abroad. Outside of hiking, Olivia enjoys skiing, kayaking, reading, cooking, and planning their next trip. Olivia graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a B.S. in engineering with an emphasis in environmental analysis and is currently studying GIS and resource management at Santa Monica College. Olivia interned with Lasting Adventures in 2019 and is excited to be returning for their first year as a Guide/Outdoor Educator.

Justin

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Originally from Encinitas, California, Justin developed a love for the outdoors early on, which led him to study Business Economics and Geography/Environmental Studies at UCLA. His passion for adventure and education has taken him all over, from studying abroad in Chile to guiding in Alaska. With four years of experience in outdoor education—mostly in California—he is excited to bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to Lasting Adventures.

This summer, Justin is especially looking forward to exploring the unique ecosystems of Olympic National Park. When not guiding, he enjoys skiing, rock climbing, backpacking, and surfing. He believes the best part of any trip is the connection between people and nature and is excited to share that with others.

Eli

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Eli grew up in the plains and hills of Northern Missouri, craving to see more than corn fields and dirt roads. He began studying Environmental Science & Sustainability at the University of Montana, and has been fartin’ around the mountains ever since. Besides looking for the perfect peak to hacky sack on, Eli thrives spending time climbing rocks, painting, snowboarding, and eating nothing but oats and ramen for days on end. This will be his first summer guiding with Lasting Adventures in Yosemite, and he is beyond stoked!

Sarah

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Sarah grew up in Southern California and spent most of her time outside at the beach. Her world expanded to mountains, canyons, and trails when she moved to Flagstaff, AZ to attend Northern Arizona University. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and Disability Studies. She’s spent the last few years working in Colorado at an adaptive sports program, making the outdoors accessible to people of all abilities. Sarah loves reading, cooking, hiking, and spending time near all kinds of water. She’s excited to return to her home state, find new community, and spend an incredible summer outside with Lasting Adventures in Yosemite!

Joe

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico Joe began hiking and backpacking at an early age. He enjoys pushing his comfort zone and taking on large adventures and expeditions, from thru hiking to completing a half Ironman he likes to always be doing something new and challenging. In his free time Joe enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities and wants to share these experiences with people and is excited to get others excited about nature and the outdoors.

Caroline

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Caroline grew up in Texas and spent time with her family camping as a kid. In high school, she took her first backpacking trip that inspired and kickstarted her love for the outdoors. In college, she began working with students in the back country as a multi-kayaking guide. She’s continued working with students and adults in the outdoors since across the states. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and snorkeling!

Janus

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Janus loves adventuring outside whenever he can. As an avid backpacker, climber, and skier, Janus has traveled across the US and to over 20 countries internationally. When he isn’t recreating outdoors he enjoys cooking, reading, and meditating. You can always find him with a smile on his face when he is working with others!

Alex

Guide & Outdoor Educator

Originally from the burbs of Chicago, Alex left the concrete jungle in 2012 to explore the desert of Southern Utah. There, he began his journey into the outdoors, working primarily in the therapeutic field with at-risk youth. His time in Utah sparked a passion for nature and adventure, leading him to develop hobbies such as canyoneering, rock climbing, and mountain biking to wilderness survival skills like bow drill fire-making, primitive trapping, and shelter building. Alex later moved to Southern Oregon, where his connection to the outdoors continued to grow, adding snow sports to his repertoire. He remains committed to deepening his skills and appreciation for the natural world, and enjoys sharing that passion with others—whether through adventure, mentorship, or simply getting outside.

Trips by Destination

Trips by Type

Camping Programs
Lodge-Based Programs